Akula's Blog

AKULA's ARMIES - Dedicated Webpage

2011-12-30T14:19:00.004Z

I've decided to set up a separate page to keep track of the figures I get made, for the WW1 Russian-themed Dwarves Project i've started.

You can access the new page, by clicking on the link, on the righthand side of this page. Apart from photos of the figures, there is also details of how you can get hold of some, if you are interested. Please note, I haven't got any plans to make any of the other figures that i've featured in my other blog pages available - this is strictly a hobby for me, I don't have any plans to set up a commercial venture. Wargaming is my main form of stress relief!

Review of 2011

2011-12-30T11:24:00.002Z

All in all, its been a good year for my gaming projects. I've definitely had less focus than in previous years - before i've typicallyspent most of my time on a single project, whether building a 10 foot long aircraft carrier, or painting 250+ zombies. This year i've been drawn to a number of different projects, but have still done pretty well, IMHO, in terms of actual completion.

Battlefield saw action, at Salute 2011, and the Battlefield Appeal has so far raised >£575 for The Combat Stress Charity (link on the top right of this page). I've decided to keep this going for 2012, and hope we can raise even more, for this very worthwhile cause.

Both my Vietnam, and Battlestar projects have progressed, perhaps not as much as i'd have liked, but are well under way - Star Wars was always on the backburner, and looks et to remain so, for now at least, due to my latest project - World War One Fantasy. The latter is focussed upon delivering a viable game for Salute 2012, and is already accompanied by the start of a range of figures, that you will be able to get hold of shortly.

Once Salute is out of the way, I'll be able to make some real progress on both Galactica, and Vietnam, but hope to have some more developments, on at least one of these projects before then.

Thanks again for following my blog - i'd like to wish you all the best for 2012.

Regards

AKULA

New Figures - the first of the WW1 Russian Dwarves

2011-12-15T16:54:00.005Z

Thought you'd appreciate a look at the first of the Russian-themed Dwarves that Bob Olley has sculpted for my WW1 Fantasy Project. In total there are 15 figures in the first "wave" of the project, although the interchangable heads means that i've got plenty of options. They've gone off to Griffin for moulding, and I should have some castings by the end of the year.

Unlike some of my other projects, thees will be available, on a limited basis - please note though, this is my hobby, and I don't want to turn it into a business. The runs will be limited in scale, and any proceeds wil be ploughed back into future releases (i'm already working on the next "wave"). I will let people know how they can get hold of some, at a later date (ie when i've got some in my hand). In the meantime, I hope you like the photos.

Update - New Greens

2011-10-10T16:31:00.003+01:00

IMHO, there is nothing better, in wargaming terms, than receiving photos of new greens that you've commissioned. The talented Mr Bob Olley is working on a range of WW1 Russian Dwarves, for me, and he has done a cracking job so far! More photos of the dollies, can be found, by clicking on the WW1 Fantasy icon, on the righthand side of this page.

(Another) New Project - Fantasy WW1

2011-09-16T17:53:00.003+01:00

Surprise surprise....another new project! Have decided to build a Fantasy World War One table, for Salute 2012 - this should be quite a pacey project, and still allow me to progress the other things i'm working on - eg it uses the same processes, and techniques as the Vietnam boards. Have been painting a few more BSG bits and bobs in the last week, and it is good to swop between them, as it is keeping me motivated to get more things finished.

Details of the new project can be found, by clicking on the relevant icon, on the ever growing project list, on the righthand side of this page. I also plan to use the project to raise a bit more cash for Combat Stress - it will also mean another version of the AR:SE rules, at some oint, which will, of course, be free to download from this blog - all donations to Combat Stress are naturally entirely voluntary!

Projects - Progress Update August 2011

2011-09-02T17:01:00.003+01:00

Have sent the Masters of Grandad Akky, and The Infiltrator, off to GreyMatter, to get turned into Transitional Resins. Once these are done, I aim to get them cast up, along with a few other sculpts that are currently WIP. There is no better feeling in wargaming terms, than getting a freshly cast up box of minis in the post - still a little way off on these, but nobody said it was going to be a quick lead fix!

Now that various work committments, holidays etc, are out of the way, I should be able to get some more progress made, on both the Galactica Project, and hopefully the Vietnam Terrain Boards.

In an ideal world, i'd like to get some more figures painted up, for both of these projects, plus start on the pile of Star Wars figures i've been hoarding.....and the freshly arrived WW1 Goblins (not a new project as such, but they were shiney, so a must have).

All of this, hopefully before I get distracted by the launch of Battlefield 3, at the end of October.

I want one of these!

2011-08-12T16:57:00.005+01:00

Haven't been bowling for ages, but I really want one of these!

Hand painted, and the idea of an ad agency to promote a German Horror/Sci-fi channel - more photos of them can be found on the following link:

http://technabob.com/blog/2011/08/07/zombie-bowling-balls/

New Photos of the Temptress

2011-07-01T17:25:00.003+01:00

I thought you'd appreciate seeing this very different take, on the Temptress miniature. This version was painted by Stone Cold Lead, another professional painter (his blog is in my favourite links, on the right-hand side of this page)

The reason I wanted to post these photos up, other than the fact that its a stunning paint job, is to show what a difference a paint job makes to the use/intepretation of a miniature. The previous version, I posted up, on my Galactica Project, was in a red dress, with blonde hair, whereas this sheer look, creates a very different end result - both look great, IMHO.

CDC Posts Advice on Zombie Apocalypse

2011-05-20T13:13:00.006+01:00

No, this isn't a wind-up, the Centre for Disease Control, really have posted advice on what to do, in the event of a zombie apocalypse!

A clever way to get some publicity for their Disaster Preparedness Programme, it nevertheless provides an interesting bit of fluff, for zombie gamers everywhere.

You can read the full CDC Advice, by going to their website address, as follows:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

Just remember, always aim for the head.

Fresh Lead in the Post!

2011-05-14T13:11:00.004+01:00

My first ever set of commissioned figures arrived back from the casters. I plan on using these generic figures for various personal projects, from modern zombie games, to Aliens, and even my Battlestar Galactica project.

First up, are some figures that I had made a while back, by Whiffwaff - apologies for the rubbish photos - they are much better in the "flesh". The brief was for generic looking figures in overalls, jumpsuits, and fatigues that could suit a variety of purposes, plus a head sprue, for use in some conversions.

The brief was for figures in standing/walking poses, with hands by their sides, to make it easier for conversion purposes, such as adding weapons, or equipment at a later date.

Update - The Battlefield Appeal for Combat Stress

2011-05-07T16:22:00.004+01:00

A massive thank you to everyone that has supported the Battlefield Appeal, so far. Since I started the Battlefield Appeal, only two months ago, we have raised over £500 (including gift-aid) for the Combat Stress Charity.

The money raised so far, is a combination of online donations, a collection at Salute, the UK's largest Wargames show, and some auctions, held on Frothers, to sell off some of the figures that gamers had painted (and donated) for the Battlefield game.

Your support will make a real difference to those veteran's suffering from PTSD, as a result of their service career. If you haven't already made a donation, and would like to do so, you can safely and securely, but clicking the Combat Stress logo, on the top right hand corner of this page, which will take you to my Justgiving page.

Thanks again guys - the generosity of gamers never ceases to amaze.

Best Regards

AKULA

New Project - Vietnam

2011-05-03T12:30:00.003+01:00

Now that the Battlefield table has had its first outing, at Salute, its time for a new project!

I envisage this project running alongside the other existing projects, as it is mainly terrain-intensive, which will give me a break from the large number of Battlestar Galactica ships i'm starting to work upon. Despite its size, I also believe I will be relatively quick to make some progress on, and so hopefully interesting for you to keep an eye on. As usual, I've set up a dedicted page to the project, which you can access, on the righthand side of this page, by clicking on the relevant icon.

Salute - The UK's Largest Wargames Show

2011-04-18T16:24:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday (16th April) was the UK's largest wargames show - Salute. It was the first outing, for the Battlefield table, and I will be posting plenty of in-game photos shortly, on the Battlefield Project page (which you can access by clicking the icon, on the righthand side of this page).

Projects - Progress Update March 2011

2011-04-09T20:15:00.002+01:00

I managed to get five more buildings painted up during March, for the Battlefield game, for Salute. Slightly less visually exciting, but nevertheless just as important, was finalising the rules - Bad AR:SE - for the game. these rules will be available, free to download, from this blog, after Salute on 16th April - all I would ask is, that you make a small donation to The Combat Stress Charity (via myJustGiving page), if you like them.

I've also sent the transitional masters of the Temptress miniature, along with the generic greens, to Griffin to get a mould made up - hopefully I should have some castings, in the next few weeks, so that I can move on the Galactica/Aliens projects. I was also taken aback, by the number of hits, after my Battlefield project found its way, onto Kotaku.com - 28,500 so far, and counting. Clearly most will be online gamers, as opposed to tabletop wargamers, but its always an eyeopener to see how much attention a simple project like this can recieve. Since then, I believe, its also been featured on the official Battlefield Twitter, so no pressure there then.....

The Combat Stress Charity

2011-03-03T17:35:00.004Z

I've decided to try and raise some cash for The Combat Stress Charity this year, and will be collecting on their behalf, at the Battlefield game, at Salute.

Combat Stress is the UK's leading military charity specialising in the care of Veteran's mental health. They look after men and women who are suffering from a psychological condition related to their service career. This might be depression, anxiety, a phobia, or PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Their services are free of charge to the Veteran.

If you would like to donate to this very worthwhile charity, you can access my Just Giving page, by clicking on the Combat Stress Icon, on the righthand side of this page - any donation goes to them, via Just Giving, and will be gratefully received by them.

Thanks again,

AKULA

Projects - Progress Update Feb 2011

2011-02-27T18:32:00.003Z

February seems to have just flown by, but looking back, I actually got a lot done - the Arica Harbour table, for Salute is on schedule, with another 6 buildings built this month.

I've also had time to paint some more vehicles, for the game (more phots on the relevant project page).

Finally, i've also made some progress on the miniatures front, with the Temptress figure, now being turned into transitional masters, ready for moulding.

March should be another busy month, as I need to have the Battlefield table, pretty much ready to go, by month end, with Salute now only six weeks away.

Projects - Progress Update Jan 2011

2011-01-30T17:20:00.005Z

January has been a good start to the year. I've continued to make progress on the Battlefield Bad Company 2 project, on the painting side, at least.....

Dedicated Rules Page

2011-01-16T16:52:00.003Z

I've just setup a dedicated page on my blog, for the different variants of AKULA's Rules:Skirmish Edition (AR:SE) - you can access it, by clicking on the image on the right-hand side of this page.

In addition, to the "Total AR:SE" Zombie rules,you will also find "Half-AR:SE'd", the version that was used for the Hasslefree participation game, in 2010.

I will add other variants, as and when they are ready, to the page, to provide a complete load of AR:SE rules.

Latest "Toy"

2011-01-09T17:08:00.003Z

Apart from a lead fixation, I've also started to collect movie memorabilia - specifically science-fiction weaponry. My latest addition is a Marine Rifle, from Space:Above and Beyond. Its a non-firing stunt prop, made of hardened rubber, which i'm going to add to the rest of my collection, in my games room.

Already on the wall, are an Aliens M41A Pulse Rifle, a laser pistol, from the original series of Battlestar Galactica, and a pistol, from Space:Above and Beyond - the latter two are non-firing, solid resin, while the Pulse Rifle, is a non-firing Hollywood Collectibles replica prop.

As i've got limited wall space (and limited funds), i'm not sure what i'll add next, but it will be along a similar theme.

Projects for 2011 - Quick Update

2010-12-28T13:15:00.004Z

Have had a bit of time, over Christmas,to think about the running order for 2011.

Battlefield Bad Company
This is the priority for the first couple of months, as the boards are for Salute in April, and so are time critical. The 8' x 4' table is finished, but I need to complete the buildings. Dependent upon the weather I should be able to get on with other projects at the same time - the freezing temperatures of the last month have meant that i've got no painting/varnishing done, and so the lead pile has been growing steadily.

Aliens vs Predator
I'm keen to get on with the Aliens colony, as soon as possible - two 2'x2' are in progress, but the project stalled partly due to the demands upon the work space for the Battlefield game, and partly as i'm waiting for one last commission to be completed, in order to have a full mould for casting.

Battlestar Galactica
I reckon I can start work on the basic shape of the ship, at the same time as i'm working on the detail for the Aliens boards, as the process is very similar. As with the Aliens project, i'm waiting upon a commission to be completed (again well worth the wait!) before casting up the figures. I should have some Raptor models csat up very shortly, and when they arrive I'll probably start to assemble the production line of resin ships waiting in my games room.

Star Wars
A modest pile of West End Games figures has now "appeared" on my painting table, and will start to be based up, ready for priming over the next month or so.

Zombies
Still an ongoing project - the painted horde is round about 400 zombies, give or take, but with plenty more to do. Am sorely tempted to add to the Shopping Mall, but realistically this will have to wait a while, given space restrictions.

VBCW
Has reached a convenient point to pause - I have completed forces for the Yorkist Front, and BUF. I will return to this project later in the year, but I need a break to fresh things up.

Overall then, it should be a busy year, but hopefully I can progress the first 4 of these projects to a significant degree.

Thanks for looking,

AKULA

Final Day of Voting TGN Awards

2010-12-24T08:53:00.003Z

Unbelievably, Goatboy is in the running for the Alternative Adventures TGN award - he is in the top two, and only a couple of votes behind, so if you haven't registered to vote, pelase do so today, as it is the final day of voting.

Registering is free - just submit your email address to receive your password - you won't get any spam emails back!

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2010/12/05/41668

TGN is a great source of wargaming news, and well worth signing up to, and your vote would be much appreciated in the Alternative Adventuers section.

Thanks again, and have a great Christmas & New Year break.

AKULA

Final Round of TGN Awards - PLEASE VOTE FOR GOATBOY

2010-12-19T14:56:00.004Z

Goatboy made the cut, so a big thank you, to those that supported him in the voting, for the TGN Awards, but the toughest challenge is ahead. The voting has now started for the winner of the Alternative Adventures Miniature, and will close on Christmas Eve, so you all have the chance to vote for your favourite mini - all votes have been reset after the first round, so everyone gets to vote again.

Please take the time to vote - it will only take a moment to do so (by clicking on the link below) - if you haven't registered, TGN is an excellent source of Wargames news, and registering only requires your email address (no spam either), which then makes you eligible to vote - I'd be delighted if you decide to support Goatboy, but of course, that is up to you.

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2010/12/18/42154

Thanks again,

AKULA.

A Small Favour - the TGN Awards

2010-12-16T11:40:00.014Z

I wouldn't normally ask a favour, but I think you will see the funny side of this request, and it will only take a minute, of your time, to help.

Voting on the TGN Awards is currently underway - the first round finishes on Saturday 18th Dec, and the final 10 in each category, will then go into a final round of voting. A friend, and fellow wargamer, has been sculpted in a goatsuit - its a long running joke - and has been nominated in the Alternative Adventure Miniature category, and lets face it, you don't get much more alternative than a guy in a goat suit!

To vote, you need to register for TGN - I would strongly recommend this anyway, if you aren't already a user, as it provides a useful source of news on all things Wargaming, and in a much more easy to read format, than some more clunky forums.

Literally just submit your email address, and you will be registered as a member, and entitled to vote - you won't get spammed afterwards, either. The details are here - remember to register first - you can vote for up to 3 choices in each category.

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2010/12/05/41668

If you find the sudden urge to buy a copy of the goatboy miniature, he is now on sale from Hasslefree Miniatures, at:

http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk/pack.pp?pack=2425

Thanks again, for your support - your vote could help change the life of a sad lonely wargamer, in a goat suit.

New Project - "Star Wars"

2010-12-14T16:14:00.002Z

ANOTHER new Project....I can handle it.....I can stop anytime I want.....really, I can.....

This one is more for my children (honest), but I said i'd stick it on my blog, as a way of keeping track of what will be the lamentably slow progress.

If you want to keep an eye on it, click on the Stormtrooper button on the right-hand side of this screen.

Some Useful Generic Greens (Pt 2)

2010-11-20T13:52:00.002Z

A few more useful generic greens for my various projects - first up, a pair of figures (male/female), in jumpsuits/leathers for use as dismounted motorcycle cops/flightcrew etc

I plan on using a sprue of heads, plus extra weapons/equipment, to give me some variety with these.

Next up. a more formal looking uniform, which I think will have a wide variety of uses, depending upon the paintjob - anything from a waiter, to security guard, or even starship crewman.

As with all of my greens, these aren't intended for widespread commercial sale - I won't be setting up a webshop, or even selling them on ebay.

Breaching Complex Alpha - FIASCO Show

2010-11-01T16:58:00.004Z

The "Breaching Complex Alpha" participation game, for Hasslefree Miniatures, got another run out this weekend, at the Leeds FIASCO show. Only 2 out of 17 adventurers died in the timed hour-long sessions - I must be getting soft!

All of the miniatures involved in the game, adventurers, mutants, aliens, zombies and hazmats are all available from Hasslefree Miniatures (link on the right-hand side of this page, to their website). The next outing for the game will probably be Hammerhead, at Kelham Hall, Newark, early next year.

Quick Update

2010-10-29T11:24:00.003+01:00

The terrain boards are finished for the Frothers Battlefield Bad Company 2 game for Salute 2011 - I still need to work on some add-on foliage, trees and the like, and then get cracking on the buildings, but the project is ahead of schedule - more on the link, on the right-hand side of this page.

Its FIASCO this weekend, in Leeds, so i'm running the "Breaching of Complex Alpha" game for Hasslefree Miniatures again, so won't be working on projects this week, but doubtless will find something bright and shiney at the show, to add to my lead pile.

New Project - "Battlestar Galactica"

2010-10-22T15:41:00.003+01:00

I've started the planning stages for another new project - Battlestar Galactica - which you can read about, by clicking on the BSG logo, on the right hand side of this page.

Typically, I prefer to have several projects on the go, at any one time - the Battlestar Galactica project is still in what i'd call the "Acquisition" stage, ie i'm hoovering up all of the materials that I could possibly need, and watching as many episodes of the TV series, as possible, to gain what I need to start actually building/painting something up.

Meanwhile, the Battlefield Bad Company project is coming along better than i'd hoped, and the Aliens Project will have some developments in the near future as well.

Some Useful Generic Greens

2010-10-19T10:22:00.002+01:00

I recently decided to get some generic-looking minis made up, to use with my personal projects - I've struggled to find unarmed miniatures, amongst existing ranges, that I could use for a whole variety of different purposes, such as zombie games, but also various other genre, including my current Aliens project.

To date, i've commissioned unarmed figures in overalls, off duty soldiers in fatigues, dismounted motorcycle cops, and a plan-looking uniform jacket that could do for anything from a waiter, to a starship crewman.

All of the minis will be cast up on pins, to go with the clear resin bases i'm using for future projects, to make life easier to base up. I'm not going to set up a webshop, or even sell these on ebay - its just a sign of taking my wargamers magpie-like tendencies to a new level....oooh, look shiney shiney....

Breaching Complex Alpha

2010-10-04T16:12:00.004+01:00

A good friend and I ran a participation game for Hasslefree Miniatures this weekend at Old Glory, Derby.

The game, set in an underground research facility, featured a number of Hasslefree Adventurers (Painted by Ben Brownlie), Zombies, Aliens and Hazmats (painted by Kev White). The terrain boards were built by Bungle, and the resin terrain pieces came from Antenociti's Workshop, and Fenris Games (who also provided the clear figure bases). The rules used were a modified version of my AR:SE zombies rules - this version is called..."Half AR:SE'd" - I aim to get the rules set up on here to download in the next week or so.

One of the features of the game, was that the Adventurers could "upgrade" their figure mid-game - six by equipping themselves with assault weapons and body armour, and the other two, by undergoing a mutation, to become stronger. When they did so, we replaced the figures, with the equivalent upgraded miniature (which Hasslefree released earlier this year).

All of the games were set against the clock - players had an hour to escape the complex.

Unfortunately this was easier said than done - if the adventurers manage to kill/evade the zombies, and Mawes (dog-like aliens), they still had to face the Mesaan warriors (pictured below).

Shortly after the players entered the complex, several teams of Hazmats follwed them onto the table, to eradicate all life in the complex (including the adventurers).

Over the two days we managed to play 5 games, with a total of 32 players (of which 10 played the hazmats) - 6 managed to escape, with a further 11 still alive when the time ran out, but trapped in the complex. Hopefully the game drummed up some extra interest for Hasslefree, as their customer service, and miniatures are second to none IMHO.

An added bonus, was that the game received a "Highly Commended" from the show organisers.

Painful but necessary all the same.

2010-08-18T13:46:00.002+01:00

Yes, i've had a clearout in my games room - shock horror!

Like most wargamers, I have the magpie tendency of if its bright and shiny, I "need" it. In the last few weeks i've said goodbye to 20 years worth of wargames magazines - a source of inspiration, but also of frustration in that they took up so much room.

I've also been slowly, but steadily clearing out bits and bobs of unfinished (or even unstarted) projects, to make room for both of my current projects - Aliens & Battlefield Bad Company - both of which you can view by clicking on the relevant logo on the right-hand side of this page.

My aim in future, is to start less projects, but a) make them as good as they can be, and b) actually finish them.

I'll leave it up to others to decide if I succeed in either of these goals.

New Project - "Battlefield Bad Company 2"

2010-07-22T13:59:00.003+01:00

Clearly i've got too much time on my hands, because i've decided to start another terrain/miniature project, that will run alongside my Aliens Project. I've been playing Battlefield Bad Company 2, on the xbox for sometime, and have decided to have a go, at representing the game on a tabletop.

You can follow it, by clicking on the relevant icon on the righthand side of this page.

New Project - "Aliens"

2010-06-07T14:33:00.003+01:00

I've got the "bug" for Aliens. I'll still be adding to my existing project - VBCW, Zombies etc, but have started a new blog, to keep the Aliens project all in one place. You can view it by clciking on the Aliens logo, on the righthand side of this page.

VBCW - BUF Assault Gun

2010-03-08T13:34:00.005Z

Another addition, to my growing Very British Civil War forces. The chassis is from an Empress Miniatures Pzr I. The guns, gun shield, shells, and shell box are scratchbuilt. The rest of the stowage is from various BEF Miniatures kits that I have on my painting table. The gunner, looking over the shield, is from Empress, and the loader is from Great War Miniatures.

Naturally the 12" bombard gun is a prototype, and as liable to harm its crew, as the enemy. Its relative lack of protection, any secondary armament, and the fact that it can only carry 3 shells, before it needs resupply, keeps it in character with VBCW - this is no superweapon!

Zombie Science Pt3

2010-01-10T15:50:00.002Z

More vehicles for the motorpool:

First up, a Hazmat truck (original fire engine, kindly sent to me by AEG - cheers mate!)

OK...so I went over the top, with the gore on this one, but it was a BIG bumper!

Next, a logistics vehicle (1:50 dustcart). Drums from Fenris games, rest of pallets are from Frontline.

Still plenty more to do!

(BCW) Conversion - Self-Propelled Gun

2009-12-24T12:41:00.002Z

A quick and easy to do conversion. I wanted a self-propelled assault gun, for my Yorkist Front forces.

Presenting the Albert Mk I SPG, nicknamed the "Equaliser" by its crews (RIP Edward Woodward).

The hull is a BEF Miniatures Matilda I, with a trimmed down Renegade Miniatures field gun - side armour is plasticard. In keeing with the "charm" of a Very British Civil War, it isn't designed to be a superweapon - its top speed is a leisurely 9mph, and the lack of an enclosed crew section, makes it vulnerable to mortars, and sniper fire!

VBCW Game at Recon

2009-12-24T12:28:00.002Z

Some photos of the recent VBCW game at Recon (Pudsey, Leeds 5th Dec):

BUF & Royalist forces launched an amphibious assault on the strategically important port of Hull. Anglican League forces, with help from their Yorkist Front allies, and local socialist militia, repulsed the attack.

More photos of the game will appear shortly in the third installment of the VBCW Sourcebook (Part 2.2), which will be available from solway games.

http://solwaycraftsandminiatures.webs.com/

A Scratchbuild - 1/56th (28mm) RN Aircraft Carrier (Part 2)

2009-12-24T12:12:00.008Z

Multiple projects, a number of shows, and (shock horror) real-life work committments have got in the way of updating my blog more regulalry, so here are some more photos of the carrier.

The central section is lacking the girders in the first photo - it was easier to paint the model first, before adding the final pieces.

First of the complement of aircraft - 4 Brewster Buffalos - they were being tested by the USN in 1938, and were carrier capable, so my force for VBCW were able to "acquire" some. Future models will include some Blackburn Skua divebombers, and hopefully one or two other colourful aircraft from the late 1930's.

Frothers Unite - UK! Sculpting Competition Runners-Up Set (Painted)

2009-11-22T15:59:00.002Z

Survivors (Runners-Up)

Horde Zombies (Runners-Up)

"Special" Zombie (Runners-Up)

and the "bonus" Colonel Marbles...

Don't forget, if you want to order them, they are only available from the Frothers Shop until 2nd January 2010 - personally, i'll be ordering some more!

Frothers Unite - UK! Sculpting Competition Winners Set (Painted)

2009-11-22T15:46:00.005Z

Here are my first attempts at painting the sets - first up the Winners, or the Survivor, Horde Zombie , and Special Zombie Sections:

Frothers (FU-UK) Sculpting Contest 2009 Winners/Runners Up

2009-11-03T16:07:00.004Z

The following is an extract from the Frothers site - "The winning sculpts from the 2009 FU!UK Pro-Am Sculpting Competition have been moulded and are now available for purchase in the Frothers Unite UK Shop":

http://www.frothersunite.com/shop/

"Set 1 (£7 inc P&P) consists of the winning entries:Intensive Care by Filin; Hunter with Axe and Zombie Girl by Sylvain Quirion. "

"Set 2 (£18 inc P&P) consists of 8 figures selected from the runners up: Cosplay Zombie by Vesa Mäkelä; Rising Zombie by Sjoerd Trouwee; Reporter and Cameraman by Andrew Rae; 2 Tank Zombies and a shambler with a snack by Snuurg; and Zombie Raven by Ben "Black Cat Bases" Parker. "

"Or buy the full "Undead Enchilada" set (£25 inc P&P), which includes all the miniatures above plus a bonus figure - a Zombie version of Colonel Marbles sculpted by Sylvain! "

"The figures will be available for TWO MONTHS ONLY, from 3 November 2009 to 2 January 2010. "

A Scratchbuild - 1/56th (28mm) RN Aircraft Carrier (Part 1)

2009-09-23T15:06:00.007+01:00

After building the Destroyer, I got asked on various forums, what I was going to do with it - the answer is simple:

Use it to escort an aircraft carrier!

I looked at the various options, and the one that really struck a chord was HMS Argus. For those that aren't familiar with it, HMS Argus was originally laid down in 1914 as the Italian Cruise liner Conte Rosso, but was purchased by the Royal Navy, and converted into the first flush deck carrier, being commissioned in September 1918. In the late 1920's, she became a training carrier a role she would still have been in, in 1938, and therefore ideal for my VBCW campaign.

Other plus points are her size - only 560' long, so a mere 10 foot in length, rather than 15 foot (which is how long the larger RN/USN carriers would be). For me, the lack of a big bridge structure was a plus - the Argus has a retractable chart house, that could be lowered during flight operations! Finally, the last refit in 1936 saw most of its armament removed, meaning that i've got a free hand when it comes to what I arm her with for 1938.

Crew: 400 (vs 1200+ for larger carriers)
Aircraft: 18-20

For the rivet counters, I should probably add at this point, that i'm planning to build something that looks a bit like it, but not an accurate model, down to every last rivet!

As with the Destroyer, the base is 6mm MDF, hull is high density polysterene, and the flight deck will also be 6mm MDF.

Its in 3 sections, for storage, and transport:

Bow Section
The opening a third of the way in from the left would have held a 4" gun before the refit - undecided yet on what will be there. That small dot, on the flight deck about halfway across....is a 28mm figure!

Middle Section
The 4th layer is recessed, on the middle section, to allow for a walkway, there will eventually be plenty of liferafts/girders and other junk in this area.

Stern Section
The will be two cranes underneath the flight deck (where the spray can lid is), which were used to allow seaplanes to be brought on board - underneath the flight deck there is a large open hanger.

Hanger Deck

The carrier will have two hangers - the fore (larger) hanger will be able to accomodate a 1/48th plane, and so is slightly enlarged.

A Scratchbuild - 1/56th (28mm) RN Destroyer

2009-08-30T18:20:00.010+01:00

My only post this month, but perhaps understandable, given the size of the project in question - a scratchbuilt RN Destroyer, for use with my pulp/VBCW games. I should probably state for the record, that I started this on a whim, and had no idea how i'd use (or even store) it - like so many of my ideas, little or no planning was involved.

The base is made from 6mm MDF, with the layers built up of high density polysterene, available from most DIY stores. The polysterene has been coated with a polyfiller/UPVA glue mix to esal it, then sanded down - I decided to retain some of the rough scars, on the hull, as it is supposed to be a battered old WW1 Destroyer, on the verge of being scrapped, which is suddenly hurried back into service in 1938. As you will see from the 28mm GWM figure on the bow, it is a tad large - just a smidge under 4 feet long!

The decking is a thin balsa wood - extra surface details were added with plasticard, and milliput. The superstructure has been built up, again using more polysterene, with the bridge made of plasticard.

The weaponry has been scratchbuilt - the vessel is loosely based upon an Admiralty S Class destroyer, with two 4" guns (should have had three, but one was removed in the breakers yard) 4 torpedo tubes, and an anti-aircraft gun. The latter is another piece of artistic license on my part - the standard weapons would have been heavy vickers, or Pom-Pom guns, but this vessel has a state of the art twin 40mm bofors (added by its new captain).

I also added a gantry, made from 6mm MDF, and funnels, made from coardboard tube, with more polysterene.

The whole model was then painted with acrylic paint (tester pots from a local DIY store), and the deck given a GW devlan mud wash. After painting, I scored the balsa wood deck to give the impression of planks, before sealing the model in a couple of coats of spray varnish.

The final job was to add the stanchions (cheated on this bit, as I used prefabricated ones from Robbe), and then threaded them with grey cotton.

(BCW) The BUF Legion

2009-07-16T16:52:00.004+01:00

The BUF was the party of Mosley, who, in the fictional background, for a "Very British Civil War" had risen to become Prime Minister. In addition to elements of the regular army, the Mosley Government controlled its own paramilitary forces, centred around the BUF Legion.

The miniatures i've used, are a mix of Musketeer's BUF Range & Anglian Miniatures' Spanish Civil War Assaultos (the latter has just been acquired by Empress Miniatures).

The plan is to (eventually) build at least a platoon of these guys, as the main opponent for the anti-government Yorkist Front, plus support vehicles.

War Against The Zombies

2009-07-12T19:23:00.002+01:00

As my zombie horde grows and grows, so will my collection of survivors. I've already divided the latter into 4 different groups, reflecting different types of games:

1) Law Enforcement - the first phase of the outbreak. Streetcops & SWAT teams battle to contain a threat that they don't truly understand.

2) Military - the National Guard, or Regular formations are called in, equipped with armoured vehicles, and bristling with guns. As Max Brooks describes in "World War Z", firepower & technology doesn't necessarily guarantee victory.

3) Science - The source of the outbreak, or the last chance for the human race? Biohazard teams capture specimens for testing, and try out new weapon systems to combat the zombie threat. Pictures of some of these already elsewhere in my blog, but there will be more to come.

4) Survivors - can appear on the table alongside any of the other groups, or be all that is left of civilisation.

The following photos are part of my military group - obviously the larger the group becomes, the more zombies I need to balance up the game, and so on....

The green NBC troopers are from TAG, as are the bereted troops (although they have had a head swop from Westwind WWW2 head packs). The bodyguard on the bottom right is from Hasslefree, and the troopers in US Digital camo, and the bike troops are from Eureka.

The Humvees are from TAG (turtlebacks), and Fenris (soft-top pickups). The Strykers are from Company B, the fuel truck is a converted Force of Arms model, and the Abrams are Hobbymaster diecasts (all in 1/56th or similar).

(BCW) Scratchbuild - Bofors Gun

2009-07-08T16:24:00.004+01:00

I fancied getting a Bofors anti-aircraft gun, for my fledgling 28mm British Civil War force - early models were available from 1937, so it was "in period", and a 40mm gun that could fire up to 120 rounds a minute would be a handy weapon in 1938, when many aircraft were still slow moving biplanes, and even many tanks were lightly armoured.

Only trouble was, to my knowledge no wargames company makes one currently that is suitable for 28mm figures (you can get one in 1/72nd or 1/35th, but i'd ideally need one in 1/56th) - I did find a diecast one in 1/48th, but it was £40, so I decided to have a go at making one myself.

The gun is made from stiff wire, with milliput and plasti card to give the approximate shape of the weapon & mount - I'm not interested in an exact replica, I just wanted something that would like one for the purposes of a wargame.

The wheels were a problem - I didn't have a ready source of suitable resin/metal wheels, so I ended up making them from milliput, and then having to carve/file them to shape - not ideal, but again, good enough for my purposes.

The finished model! Total cost - zero - as all the materials were already in my bits box. I made some extra copies of the actual gun, which may come in handy later on.

Zombies....(Part 2)

2009-06-21T21:41:00.004+01:00

More zombies...what else?

First up, another Horde base - basically a virtually indestructible mass of undead that eats anything in its path. I've been experimenting with the look and feel (and cost) of the horde bases - this is my third effort - the first had 46 minis, and the second had 29 minis. Horde number three has shrunk to a mere 25 miniatures....

A combination of Brigade Games modern civvies, Mississinewa Minaitures, and shock horror.... some of the plastic Wargames Factory zeds. Let's be clear, i'm not a fan of the new WF plastic zeds - I would love for them to be better, but the sad fact is that the saving in monetary terms, IMHO was outweighed by the time it took to clean the mould lines, and assemble them. Even then, the detail was very soft, and the waistlines looked odd to me, so I had to resort to hiding them in the middle of the horde.

Don't get me wrong, i've seen somebody do an excellent paint job on them, painting on detail where little was evident on the mini - equally i've seen someone else go to a lot of time and effort to "dress" them in green stuff. Personally, I wanted A LOT of zombies that I could get on the table as quickly as possible, but these aren't the answer for me.

Costwise the WF zeds worked out only marginally cheaper than either the Mississinewa, or Brigade Games metal zombies, both of which required much less time to get ready for painting.

Next up....well, it had to be a undead guy in a chickensuit. There are a couple around, but my favourite is from Studio Miniatures:

British Civil War Transport (Part 2)

2009-06-21T21:34:00.002+01:00

Had a bit of a rush of blood this weekend, and finished off the rest of the bus transport for my Yorkist Front force, along with a few other bits and bobs.

Group shot of the assembled motor pool.

The Beaverette is from Stronghold, the Morris Armoured Car is from BEF Miniatures. All 4 buses (a combo of AEC Regals and OB Bedfords) are Corgis 1:50. The two vans in the top right-hand corner of the photo, and the Rolls-Royce, are all diecasts, Lledo or similar.

Zombie Science Pt2

2009-05-29T16:19:00.005+01:00

Finally plucked up courage to paint the Hasslefree Jotun mini that has been staring at me from my painting table for some time. It was actually great fun to paint, with plenty of opportunities for even an average painter like myself to pick out some of the finely sculpted detail.

This is the first of what I hope will grow into a "small" force of Experimental Genetically Mutated Super Soldiers (as per the Nemesis Project in Res Evil 2).

British Civil War Transport

2009-05-18T17:19:00.008+01:00

As part of the Very British Civil War Project, i've been assembling a motorpool of vehicles, to transport my forces. In keeping with the nature of the "period", I have tried to combine a selection of military and civilian vehicles, so of which will have been hastily converted.

The Bus below, is a 1/50th AEC Regal, the Armoured car is a Morris CS9 (Chieftain Models), and the Motorcycle is from Great War Miniatures, with a Lewis Gun strapped to the handlebars. The latter is the first of my SBS - Special Bike Squadron, an ill-thought out, slightly impractical unit, which is IMHO in keeping with the character of almost Dad's Army approach of hastily-formed bodies of troops, in the dark days of 1938...

The emblem, on the side of the vehicles, is the White Rose of the Yorkist Front (my fictional force).

Future additions will include more buses, tanks, and hopefully some cycle troops....

Brother against Brother (BCW)

2009-05-09T18:23:00.005+01:00

The advantage of a fictional "period" like A Very British Civil War, is that you can do what you want. As part of the force i'm building, for the Yorkist Front, I decided to paint some personality figures.

First up, is General Sir Stanley Birch (Ret), a fictional hero from the First World War, that has assumed command of the forces defending York. The miniature was sculpted by Paul Hicks, for a charity auction (I believe that it actually depicts a Captain of the Gloucesters), but with a different paint job, was ideal IMHO, for the purpose I had in mind.

The rumoured political head of the Yorkist Front, is none other than Prince Albert, brother of King Edward. In real life, Albert, became King upon Edwards abdication, and assumed the name of George. Prior to becoming King, his titles also included Duke of York, and honourary Colonel-in-Chief of the Duke of Yorks Own Regt (DOYOR) which forms the core of my fictional Yorkist Front. The mini that he based upon is a Musketeer Miniatures RIC officer, the head is from Gripping Beast, and the pipe hand is from Hasslefree's Professor Baker.

A Very British Civil War

2009-04-29T17:16:00.008+01:00

Another project!

A Very British Civil War, is set in 1938 - its based upon a "what if" - a constitutional crisis caused by King Edward VII refusing to abdicate, and the then Prime Minister carrying out his threat to resign. King Edward turns to Mosley, to form a government, and then all hell breaks loose, with assassination attempts, riots, and then outright civil war on the streets of Britain.

The charm of this new "period", is that there is no right or wrong way to do things - no army lists, no standard set of rules for the rules lawyers to fight over. Various different factions sprout up, along polictical, religious or even geographical lines, leading to some strange units.

My own force will be based around the defenders of the City of York - the local garrison, centred around the Duke of York's Own Regiment (DOYOR) have rebelled against the King, in favour of his brother, Prince Albert (who in real life was to become King George, upon King Edward's abdication). Prince Albert also happened to hold the title of Duke of York, and be Colonel in Chief of the DOYOR, in real-life.

First up will be some Regulars, wearing the old WW1 uniform (the 1937 pattern uniform was still being phased in) - the examples below are from Musketeer Miniatures.

I'm also building some "irregular" forces, the first of which is a volunteer unit, made up of local gentry - "The League Of Ordinary Patriotic Yorkshiremen" (LOOPY)....

The first 4 figures (above) are a mix of Foundry & Copplestone explorers, with a minor conversion, trimming down a pith helmet to make a flat cap!

(WIP) Shopping Mall

2009-04-02T10:17:00.006+01:00

Another project that is ongoing, is the Shopping Mall.

I wanted something that would compliment my 28mm zombie/survivor project, but would also be suitable for a Modern SWAT-type game. It is based upon 2 foot square MDF base boards, making the units interchangable. Different modules will eventually be connected by a separate skywalk, and second floor units will be added around the edge of each module, creating a stadium "bowl" type of feel to the table.

The boards need to be fairly sturdy, so the outer walls, and a few key walls are 6mm MDF, the remainder will be a mix of foamboard, or plasticard. The entrance ways are bordered by H-girders to allow different doors to be slotted in (such as damaged versions).

The first module (pictured above) contains a Bar/Restaurant, a flight of stairs which will connect to the upper levels/skywalk, and the toilets. The furniture items are a mix of Frontline, and Plastic items from 4D Models.

As you will see, this project has evolved over time - i didn't start with a fixed plan of what the units would eventually look like, just a basic set of themes. I decided to add in a walkway, cutting across the module itself, built from 6mm MDF.

The second unit follows a different pattern - i've incorporated a set of air conditioning vents around the top of the unit, along with a skywalk along 2 sides. There is also a set of stairs, representing a maintenance area, that leads up to the skywalk. This unit also has a side door, on a bar hinge (below) which if not secured by the occupants would give zombies access to not only this module, but via the stairwell & skywalk, other units as well.

Just like my other projects, i imagine that this is one that will grow over time.

Zombie Science

2009-04-01T12:52:00.010+01:00

Along with my neverending quest for more zombies, i'm also building a unit of Scientists/Military - are they the source of the zombies,or testing weapons to use against them? Either way, its just an excuse to buy more minis.

(Above: Hasslefree Miniatures. Below: Conversions from Eureka Soviets)

I've also been experimenting with making BioHazard Tents/Vehicles, from a mix of plasticard, Foamboard, and a diecast vehicle (control units are from Copplestone).

The Truck is designed to act as both a Mobile Command Centre & a Lab, for test subjects (i'm a fan of the Resident Evil films).

A sign that i'm getting a tad carried away with this project, is the installation of lights inside the truck (taken from a light pen).

Frothers (FU-UK) Sculpting Contest 2009

2009-04-01T11:37:00.005+01:00

The Frothers 5th Sculpting Contest has just been launched - the closing date for entries is 31st May 2009.

Full details can be found by clicking the link below:

http://contest.frothersunite.com/2009/

The judges will be looking for figures that could be used to recreate the modern zombie horror flicks on a gaming table. Shambling deaders or fast moving corpses, its all good.
Survivors of the zombie apocalypse too, either hiding, fleeing in terror or tooled up to fight the undead menace. And the zombies don't have to be human either - zombie dogs can be great fun, or zombie rabbits (they'll do you a treat)....

So as not to limit the sculptor's creativity, specific categories haven't been set in advance. You can enter as many different figures as you want - Professional and amateur may both enter.

Zombies....

2009-03-31T19:39:00.018+01:00

Zombies....there is no denying that they hold a certain fascination for me....alright, i'm a zombie-nut.

I'm a fan of all things zombie, whether it is George Romero films - "Dawn of the Dead", to name but one - or Max Brooks' novel "World War Z".

In wargaming terms, zombies break all the usual concepts of warfare - they have no Command & Control to be destroyed, no logistics to be disrupted, no morale to be broken. The "classic" Romero-esque zombie can only be stopped by destroying the brain, making a zombie a fearsome enemy. At the sametime, their predictable traits - lack of independent thought, but overriding lust for human flesh, makes them easy to play in a solo wargame. There is no right or wrong way to paint a zombie, no army lists to tell you what you can or can't play with....and no limit to what you can do.

There are literally hundreds of different zombie miniatures available, with more being released everyday. It has to be said that the quality can be extremely variable, to say the least - some sculpters seem to believe that basic anatomy doesn't apply when making a new zed. Although are a number of manufacturers of very reasonable miniatures, Hasslefree, Crocodile Games & Cold Wars are IMHO amongst the best of the zombie "genre".

I started collecting zombies in May 2008, and to date i've got 250 painted up - as any diehard wargamer will tell you, you can never have enough figures for a game, and no project is ever truly "finished". I generally favour what i term "mass skirmish" games, with one figure representing one person, in real life. The majority of my figures are based individually, and the rules i use tend to be homegrown, as i prefer simple, quick rules, to overly complicated ones. As a result, my games tend to be bloody, but also with the emphasis upon a lot of figures on the table.

For my zombie project, i have currently got several different "classes" of zeds:

1) "Normal" zombies/zeds. Mounted individually on a 25mm diameter base. Slow moving shamblers, lacking any intelligence - they respond to basic stimulus of sight, smell, or sound.

2) Fast Zeds. Mounted Indvidually on a 35/40mm base. Either more agile human undead, or zombie dogs. Similar in most respects to the run of the mill zombie, just that bit faster.

3) Hordes. 100mm diameter base with anything from 25-50 figures on it. Individually, they are slow moving, and vulnerable, but as a crowd, they can absorb a lot of firepower, and overrun anything that gets in their path.

First Blog

2009-03-31T17:30:00.002+01:00

31st March 2009

Being a more than a little bit of a technophobe, i've resisted all attempts to start a blog in the past.

So why start one now?

My main past time is miniature wargaming - for want of a better phrase, collecting, painting, and yes, playing with "toy soldiers".

I spend ages posting on various discussions about ongoing projects. Some of these, i will continue with, but my aim in starting a blog, is to frankly cut down on the amount of time i spend crossposting in different boards....guess i will find out, soon enough, whether i am deluding myself with this one.

Ultimately, if i spend less time posting on half a dozen different forums, i should have more time to paint miniatures, and who knows, maybe even get a game or two in (who am i trying to kid)?